Many fluids, such as photo-resist liquids used in the micro-electronic industry, are exceedingly expensive. These liquids must be filtered immediately prior to being used or impurities in the photo-resist liquids can damage the micro-electronic components being fabricated.
Conventional filtration systems and fitting arrangements for filtration systems have many problems associated with them. For example, the filtration system may include a manifold connected to a pump which pumps the photo-resist liquid through the system. A filter which has one or more fittings may be mounted to corresponding fittings on the manifold. However, conventional equipment used to mount the filter to the manifold is often relatively large and occupies more space than is conveniently available. Also, conventional mounting equipment can cause undue stress on the fittings, and potentially damage the fittings, because it fails to properly align the fittings as the filter is mounted to the manifold. Further, conventional mounting equipment is frequently difficult to access and maintain, often requiring disassembly of the manifold.
The fittings can also be mismatched due to variations in their dimensions and eccentricity. Coupling mismatched fittings can also produce undue stresses on the fittings due to misalignment. In addition, the mated fittings of many conventional systems have large volumes which collect or trap the photo-resist liquid, e.g., hold up volumes and leakage volumes. These hold up volumes and leakage volumes are expensive because the expensive liquid trapped in them is discarded when the filter is replaced on the manifold. Further, the flow of fluid can stagnate in these hold up volumes and leakage volumes. When a liquid such as a photo-resist liquid stagnates, it can undergo chemical and/or physical changes which can be detrimental to the fabrication process.